Shelley
thanks for the leanandstrong.com link. A little info: Sugar Busters is NOT low-carb! I think low carb diets, while they may result in a temporary weight loss, are unrealistic for long-term success. Sugar Busters involves eating whole grain carbs instead of refined sugar and flour. I had some success with it but due to some personal problems am now, well, in a different track (I won't say off track ) I hang around the Sugar Busters board because several there, especially Debelli, have reached their goal weights and are VERY encouraging! Anyway, to answer your question I would like to follow Body for Life, at least to finish one challenge, and give the program a fair shot because it looks like dramatic changes are possible.
Mrs. Jim
I knew I could count on you chicks for information! The application package was VERY confusing. I "preregistered" for 2002 so I didn't understand if that meant I couldn't start until 2002. But I started TODAY and really want to finish by Jan 6, so I'll just take the pictures and wing it.
I already got a 20 pack of Myoplex low carb a while back, so I'm all set there. It tastes rather nasty though. I usually use pure protein powder (whey) instead and mix it with my own ingredients, like frozen strawberries, yum.
Susan
Airfare to Hawaii is really cheap now so come on over! The weather's perfect!
A VERY brief history on me:
215+ -- Highest weight ever. Read Thin Within.
194 -- When I started OA in Jan 2000
164 -- Got away from OA & started Sugar Busters Mar 2001
145 -- Today's weight!!!!
So as you can see, I've come a long way but progress is slow. That's why I'm so interested in Body for Life, as the program seems to be designed for fast results while also being healthful and safe. I did have a hard time following it the first time but I don't think that's because it's an unrealistic program.
What changes you have already made - and a great decision to give BFL a whirl!
I highly recommend also signing up at www.leanandstrong.com or at least checking it out (if you haven't already done so). The people at L&S (along with 3FC) have been so supportive and it is such a positive place. I love browsing through the Transformation Gallery there!
When you refer to the Myoplex Low Carb, are you talking about the ready-to-drink shakes? I have one word for those - YUK! I bought a case on eBay early in my first Challenge and couldn't even finish one (luckily I was able to resell them on eBay without taking too much of a loss). SOME people like them but then again, some people also like Brussels Sprouts (ick again!).
When you're done gagging down those LowCarb RTDs, may I suggest buying the regular Myo Lite? You can get a super deal by buying the 42-serving Variety Pack (Chocolate/Vanilla/Strawberry). I also LOVE the Cappuchino Ice flavor in the morning - it really DOES taste like a Starbucks Frappuchino! YUMMY.
Pam B (see the L&S board or just my numerous posts about her) used a protein powder (I think she said she used EAS' "Simply Protein" during her three Challenges, along with a carb (probably mixed a banana or strawberries in the protein shake). I may do that sometime but I really love my Myo Lite!
Speaking of eating - I've gotta check my dinner. Meal #5 is grilled chicken with tomatoes and mushrooms and cous-cous on the side! (one of my favorite meals). Take care all!
Chris-WOW!! What a change. Looks like you will do great on BFL. I always thought Sugar Busters was low-carb. Funny how we think we know a lot about different diets, and don't really! I agree with Mrs. J. on the Myoplex Lites. I really enjoy their Chocolate Lovers Pack, and the Tropical Pack. I happen to like the low-carb RTD that Myoplex makes, but it doesn't fill me up like the others, since you can add as much ice as you like to the powdered ones. Funny how everyone has different tastes. I can't stand the protein whey powdered drinks!
SJ-Hows the low-carb going? I am on my 2nd week, and I haven't lost anything, but I also can't do much working out this week due to a pull in my groin. It really hurts, and my husband won't let me do any lower body exercising. I tried Carbolite crackers and chips and they taste nasty to me! Also, they are quite pricey! I do enjoy 2 Carbolite chocolate squares after dinner, though! I am trying the Di Pasquale thing, where I can eat carbs on the weekends. This coming weekend will be when I can have some carbs. I haven't totally removed them from my diet, though. I had a few pieces of honeydew the other day, and last night had a very small piece of cornbread with chili.
Mrs. J- My motto is if it ain't broke, don't fix it! Why should you go with lower carbs if the original plan is working for you? Mine just never worked in the first place!
I don't weigh myself but have lost inches. Mostly I feel better on low carb. When I was doing all that bloodwork and lab tests I remember falling asleep in the waiting room during one of the Fast/eat/fast tests (where I was there all day). Now I have a lot of energy and it helps a lot. I think my dr is right that I am carb sensitive. I also have an extremely slow metabolism so I'm giving myself the equivalent of a challenge (12 weeks) on this.
I don't like the Carbolite crackers but I do like the Carbolite bake mix for pancakes and I like the Carbolite shakes although they are mostly pure protein powder with cocoa and splenda thrown in. The bake mix comes in both zero carb and low carb.
I don't know about the Pasquale thing. I don't know what that is (what is it?) I don't do extra carbs at all on the weekends and only take a free evening once a month. In Nov I will take 2, the first Thursday (night out with hubby) and Thanksgiving. In December I will take the first Thursday and Christmas. This year I am DETERMINED to not turn Christmas week into a pigout fest like I do almost every year. It's one day and that's it. The free day on BFL has helped me with that.
One thing is that I have weird allegies since I moved to California. I don't know what I'm allergic to now but I've been congested the past few weeks. I take a decongestant before getting on the elliptical otherwise I can't breathe. I wish I knew what was causing this.
Since I will be in the middle of C3 during the holidays, I've decided that for Thanksgiving (Thursday as usual) and Christmas (Tuesday) I'm going to switch my free day those weeks to those days.
MY problem is going to be baking. I love to bake Christmas cookies and give them out each year. I am really going to think hard about this. What is more important, continuing a tradition of baking cookies or attaining my goals? With that in mind, I think the KitchenAid mixer in my kitchen is going to have a vacation this year! Most of the cookies end up in Jim's and my tummies (thighs etc) anyway.
Halloween is Wednesday this year - traditionally I go to my sister's house and take the kids trick-or-treating. She knows I'm on BFL and will support me - Jen isn't going to do something like "oh, come on, one Snickers Fun Size isn't going to hurt you!". She is really thrilled with my progress! Of course, she may make a baggie of candies for my Free Day as she did at my niece's birthday a week or so ago, which is okay by me!
Susanje - Jim's allergies have been acting up too, tho not as much as yours seem to be. He takes Claritin and that seems to help most of the time. Jim has a deviated septum which the doctor has suggested he have fixed but after hearing about what the operation entails he decided against it. The worst thing for me about his problem is the snoring sometimes but I just give him a nudge when it gets too bad - then he rolls over and stops.
In one of the threads here someone mentioned a NHE thread over at L&S. I tried doing a variety of searches in the archives and couldn't find it. While I doubt that WOE is for me, I'm still exploring new things.
I'm very excited about starting but I need to have access to a gym, and have planned travel behind me. I don't want to be from distracted from my challenge once it starts. I also selected a time period that would include the holidays
I bought some bars and a 20 envelope package of MyoLite : I'm going to try some different things and then order big time over the Net.
SPARKLESCAMP your numbers are almost identical to mine but you've gotten further along. I started at 219 and I'm now stalled around 160-155. You look wonderful. I did Sugar Busters for three months, found it very easy, but unfortunately didn't lose any weight.
Personally, I think the holiday season is the **Best** time to stay clean! You'll find that one of the greatest things about BFL is the Free Day. Like I said above, I usually have my Free Day on Sunday but am planning on switching it to the actual holiday.
I know that we (I'm referring here to anyone trying to lose bodyfat) tend to toss in the towel between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Then what do you end up with on New Years Day? A lot of bodyfat that you'll have to work hard to get off, not to mention major depression! Remember the taste of those treats only lasts a moment...and the fat can hang on a lot longer than that. Some people say "I'm going to be invited to such-and-such a holiday party...it will be too tempting not to eat this or that..." Most (if not all) of the parties I've gone to in recent years have had choices that correspond to the BFL clean way of eating. I remember one party last year - amongst the deviled eggs and mini pizzas were teriyaki chicken skewers, kabobs made with lean beef and veggies, and of course a fresh veggie platter!
I also suggest that if you're planning on attending fancy parties, buy yourself a gorgeous outfit - as slinky and form-fitting as you dare...people's eyes will pop out when they see how good you look after doing BFL for a while! And you'll feel so fit, lean & strong, that you won't even care about the goodies (I should call 'em 'baddies' instead). Of course, if the party is on your Free Day, go for it!
I'm sure there are lots of other ideas out there, but don't give up just because you're doing your challenge during the holidays. Keep a personal journal of all your thoughts, hopes, aspirations...keep up the MENTAL part of BFL! (Bill P didn't subtitle the book "12 Weeks to Mental AND Physical Health" for nothin', ya know!). Believe me, come January 1, you will be SOOO glad that you stayed clean...and won't regret one morsel of those treats! One more idea - what my sis does for me - see if you can have a 'Free Day Doggie Bag' or plate o' treats made for ya so you can indulge on your Free Day! You will enjoy them all the more when you can have them without guilt, trust me!!
Steve L. at L&S posted this earlier today, and I have received his permission to post it here for all to see:
Quote:
"Me and the Scale - A Cautionary Tale"
I was cleaning out files and ran across my notebook for my first challenge, way back in the spring of last year.
I had forgotten some of the details, but it really does show how, if I had let it happen, the scale readings could have derailed me.
First 3 weeks: Scale weight UP 3 lbs, waist measurement down 1 inch.
First 6 weeks: Scale weight has now returned to what it was to begin with. Waist measurement down 2 inches.
First 9 weeks: At last! Scale down 4 lbs, waist measurement down 3 inches.
12 weeks: Scale down 9 lbs, waist measurement down 4 inches.
Note how the scale hopped all over the place....up 3 lbs....down 3 lbs....down another 4 lbs...down another 5 lbs.
Note also how the tape measure showed utterly consistent improvement: One inch lost every three weeks. Like clockwork.
In the second challenge, a similar thing happened: I lost another 3 inches from my waist, but the scale moved only 4 lbs.
By this time, of course, I didn't give a hoot that the scale showed I had "lost" a lousy 13 lbs in 24 weeks---my waist had gone from 40" to 33" and my hips had shrunk an equal amount, while I had added 2.5 inches to my chest measurement and 1.25 inches to each arm!
The scale has been gathering dust ever since.
I planned my challenge no.1 to take me through the holidays and into February because that tends to be a "blue" period for me anyway. I haven't gorged during the holidays for the last few years but being focused on February 7 and seeing the results of twelve weeks of hard work will be my anchor during a difficult period.
I'm practicing eating six times a day balancing protein and carbs, although not all BFL approved food. I'll be trying my first MyoLite tonight - last night I had a Worldwide Protein bar for dinner(with an apple.)
Hope everyone is doing okay. Haven't heard from Sil lately - how ya doin' gal?
I am still flying high! Hard to believe I'm already at Day 81 of my second Challenge. I am DETERMINED to kick some major booty in the next three days.
I woke up this morning full of energy and attacked the treadmill - hit some great 9's and did such a great 10 that my legs were wobbling!
Anyway, just checking in...Jim's got the digital camera ready to take pix of me this weekend, then I'll post 'em at my website and at L&S for all to see! Have a great day!
I had my first Myoplex Lite last night. It was delicious. I made a huge mess with it, ended up washing the blender, a spatula, a spoon, and the glass. I'm now placing an order for a lot more over the Web.
I usually order my Myo Lite from www.vitaglo.com since they have the best prices on it (and free shipping in the US). I usually order a 42-serving Neopolitan Variety Pack (choc/van/strawberry) and a 20-serving Cap Ice. The rest of my "BFL staples" - Labrada Glutamine powder, creatine powder, and Udos - I order from the Netrition link through www.leanandstrong.com, L&S gets a kickback from orders placed through their site and it keeps them running.
You can also order the "Body of Work" video (GREAT inspriation!) and "BFL Success Stories #2" from Netrition for $4.95 each. I love watching Body of Work - especially the first part of it when Bill Phillips explains his philosophy behind his inspiration for BFL.
If you go to the musclemedia.com website, you can find Myoplex recipes. Some are obviously NOT to be used if you're trying to burn bodyfat, but my two faves are the Power Pudding (add three tbs. of fat free/sugar free instant pudding mix, less water and ice) and the Cinnamon Roll (add cinnamon and Butter Buds to a vanilla Myo Lite). I also find that sticking my Myo Lite in the freezer (after blending it) for about a 1/2 hour makes it even thicker and takes longer to eat, so I do that at night - make my Myo Lite, take a hot bath, snuggle into my robe and have my treat! Mmm...a great way to end the day!
) I hang around the Sugar Busters board because several there, especially Debelli, have reached their goal weights and are VERY encouraging! Anyway, to answer your question I would like to follow Body for Life, at least to finish one challenge, and give the program a fair shot because it looks like dramatic changes are possible.
I'm a bit of a show-off
